1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a zero insertion force connector for a rectangular circuit support having contact zones disposed on one at least of its two faces, comprising a rectangular base with flexible contacts on which the corresponding contact zones of the lower face of the support come to bear and a clip formed from a rectangular frame applied to the upper part of the support, so as to maintain the electric continuity between the contact zones and the flexible contacts, said clip being fixed to the base by hooks disposed at the four corners of the rectangular frame and cooperating with corresponding housings in the base. The invention also relates to a clip such as defined above.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Such a type of connector as well as the clip adapted for fixing to the base thereof is described in the American standard MIL S 38 533. Reference may also be made to French application n.degree.83 03 131 entitled "Connector comprising at least one contact with resiliently deformable arm" filed on the 25th of February 1983 in the name of the applicant and the description of which is incorporated in the present application by reference.
This type of connector is a zero insertion force connector, that is to say that the circuit support or "chip carrier" is positioned without insertion force on a rectangular base having rows of flexible contacts. After insertion of the chip carrier, the carrier is closed by locking the clip to the base.
At the present time, chip carriers are being developed comprising, on the one hand, peripheral connections disposed on the lower face and, on the other hand, at least one row of peripheral connections disposed on the upper face of the chip carrier. The presence of connections on the upper face of the chip carrier allows the semi conductor chip to be fixed directly thereto.
The clip such as defined in this MIL standard comprises a rectangular frame formed of four orthogonal arms, said arms being situated in the same plane and being extended in the connecting corners by hooks adapted for engagement in corresponding housings in the base.
Such an arrangement implies that, when the chip carrier comprises a row of peripheral connections on its lower face, the metal frame used for the clip causes short circuits between the different contacts of the upper face of the chip carrier. In addition, the embodiments at present available on the market, because of their structure are space consuming which means that they do not comply with the above mentioned standard.